


Standing Outside the Fire

by taurley



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Past Abuse, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-23 01:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/920149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taurley/pseuds/taurley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaac lives by certain rules, but something about Peter makes him want to break them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Standing Outside the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I guess this can be seen as a Season 3 AU because the S3 ending assumed in this won't be the one that happens.

Isaac lives by a lot of rules.  Once, those rules were set by someone whose rules were inconsistent and whose penalty for breaking those rules always ended in pain. Now, Isaac’s rules are self-imposed – they’re rules which help him survive.

Don’t miss handing in too much homework, no matter if you’re out late tracking omegas. No doing homework will draw attention.

Don’t be a burden to whoever you’re staying with. They don’t have to give you a bed to sleep in, or a roof to keep out the rain.

Don’t forget to be tidy. It doesn’t do to become complacent.

_Don’t forget that even those you trust can hurt you._

The rules kind of go out of the window when the alpha pack is in town, because there’s too much else to think about to remember not to get too attached to the way Melissa makes pancakes or to make sure his economics assignment gets done on time. Sometimes, late at night when he’s staring up at the ceiling after another bad dream, he remembers he’s not supposed to expect anything from anyone and resolves to be less eager around Scott the next day. But the next day comes and Scott asks him for help or grins at him and suggests they watch a movie, and Isaac can’t help but say yes because having a friend is something special.

The alpha pack – or what’s left of it after the twins opt out– die and everyone looks more carefree; Scott spends more time playing video games, Stiles and Lydia start to research the many uses for mountain ash, and Melissa no longer watches her son as though she’s scared she’s going to lose him.

Isaac, though, is left with too much time to think about everything that might go wrong now. Scott’s mom might want him to leave now the immediate danger is over. If he gets into trouble at school for falling behind, his living arrangements might be questioned. Maybe everyone will realize what a screw up he is. And that’s how he ends up back at the old Hale house – the absolute wreck of a property that’s been off limits for weeks now, since just after Scott uncovered the symbol on the door.

He doesn’t intend to go there, just walks and walks until he arrives and then figures moping at the old Hale house is at least better than moping at the old Lahey house, because there are less memories for him there. What he doesn’t count on is Peter Hale showing up.

Isaac’s sitting on the floor drawing circles in the dust and he jumps when Peter clears his throat because even though he has werewolf senses, he hasn’t yet managed to train himself into using them automatically yet, not like Scott has.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” says Peter.

Isaac glances at Derek’s uncle and then looks back at the circles, not saying a word. He has another rule that had to be broken while Deucalion was in town: don’t associate with Peter. Scott had told him that, and so had Derek, and Stiles, and even Lydia had made a pointed comment when they’d bumped into each other at the grocery shop one day. Even without the words of advice, Isaac would have probably instigated that particular rule. Peter’s older, powerful – exactly the sort of person Isaac avoids even if they’re a good person. Even when Peter had been around during the alpha pack mess, Isaac had done everything possible to not be alone with the guy.

“Ah, the silent treatment. How teenage of you.” Peter snorts, and lowers himself down to the ground beside Isaac. If he notices the way Isaac shuffles away ever so slightly, he doesn’t say. “As is hanging around abandoned buildings, now I come to think of it.”

 “They’re a good place to find _quiet_ ,” he says pointedly.

“Well then, I bet this one is suddenly seeming a bit overcrowded.”

Isaac shrugs, and starts to trace triangles on the floor instead of circles. If he leaves as soon as Peter arrives that’s too much like admitting he’s afraid, and maybe Peter can already hear that in the rapid beat of his heart but Isaac still isn’t going to own up to it in any way he can help.

Peter sighs. “Deucalion and Kali have gone – what exactly have _you_ got to mope about now?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Maybe I would be.” Peter turns sideways so that he’s facing him and leans back, hands against the floor, looking thoughtful. “I thought you’d be with Scott today – you usually are t weekends, aren’t you?”

Isaac doesn’t know how Peter knows that, but he tries not to let the surprise show on his face. “Him and Stiles have gone camping.”

“And you don’t feel right being in Scott’s house overnight when he isn’t there,” Peter finishes, not a question.

“Yes. Maybe – I don’t know.” He scowls, but it’s not Peter he’s annoyed at – it’s himself. He’s breaking his own rules again, going even further than just talking to Peter, he’s actually letting Peter see his weaknesses.

“Why don’t you stay the night at Derek’s, then?”

 _Because the last time Isaac tried to stay the night at Derek’s, a glass was thrown at him._ “I don’t live with Derek, I live with Scott.”

“You don’t like sleepovers, then?” Peter asks, teasing lilt to his voice. “Or _maybe_ you don’t like asking for help.”

Isaac’s had enough. “What are you doing here, anyway?” he bites out, because he can do mean just as well as anyone else can, “come to wallow in the burnt shell that used to be your home?”

“Excuse me?”

He stands up, refusing to even glance at Peter. “You heard me. Don’t bother trying to psycho-analyse me. Don’t bother trying to be my friend, or whatever else you’re doing. I’m not interested.”

“I think you’re placing too much importance on a conversation that was only being made to be polite,” Peter says lightly.

Isaac doesn’t reply as he walks away. He spends the night sleeping in the lockers at the school, sneaks back into the McCall house just in time for pancakes in the morning because it wouldn’t do to raise questions. _Don’t draw attention to yourself._

~~

Two weeks pass, and Isaac doesn’t see Peter once. It’s not exactly a rare occurrence, but Isaac’s grateful for it all the same. He has too much else on his mind to be worrying about the intentions of Derek’s uncle, who also happens to be pack now – something which Isaac has had no say in.

He’s walking home late after a detention – which is totally Ethan’s fault, not his – when Derek pulls up next to him in the Toyota. “Get in,” his alpha says, so Isaac does.

They ride in silence for a minute, and Isaac wonders what he’s done now. Maybe someone from the school called Derek about the detention.

“I want you to move back into the loft,” Derek says suddenly, looking straight ahead at the road as he does so.

“Why?”

“You’re pack. The danger’s passed and I want you where I can make sure you’re okay.”

Isaac hums softly under his breath, eyes fixed on the view out of the window. “There’s a reason I started staying with Scott,” he says, making sure his neck is showing as much as possible. He doesn’t want to get Derek angry.

“I know,” says Derek after a moment, “and I’ve explained a few times now why I made you leave like I did. Are you going to keep on punishing me?”

“That’s not – I’m not doing that.” And he isn’t; he’s already forgiven Derek for what he did, even if he can’t forget it. “I’m just saying you don’t have to look out for me.”

Derek sighs. “Remember after I threw you out and you kept turning up places to help anyway?”

“Yeah, because we’re pack,” he says, an automatic defence.

“Exactly. I’m not going to force you to move back, but there’s a room waiting for you.”

Isaac wants to carry on living with Scott, somewhere where he can pretend to be normal sometimes, but this isn’t about what we wants. It’s about what he needs. What he needs is to avoid becoming a burden to people he’d like to keep in his life. “Okay,” he says, “can you drive me to Scott’s place so I can pick up my stuff, then?”

Derek smiles, and reaches forward to turn on the radio. Isaac closes his eyes and lets the music drown out the doubts shouting in his head.

When Isaac walks inside and tells Scott he’s leaving, he’s met with protests that almost make him change his mind, but he’s broken enough of his rules recently and he’s not going to add another thing to his list of failures.

~~

“So,” says Peter, standing in the doorway to Isaac’s room, “you’re back here.”

“Obviously.” He watches Peter carefully as the man takes a step inside, looking around with an expression that Isaac thinks is interest. “What do you want?”

“What? I can’t just come and say hi, welcome you back into the fold?”

“You always want something.”

“Who told you that? Derek? Scott? _Stiles_?”

Isaac stays quiet, staring resolutely at the wall. This is the second time Peter’s initiated a conversation, and the second time Peter has said something challenging. Last time Isaac had lashed out, turned defensive, and it obviously hadn’t worked. So this time he’s going to try being passive, whatever will make Peter leave him alone.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Peter says, moving backwards so that he’s standing outside of Isaac’s room again, rather than in it. He looks serious, like he did around Cora when she was hurt, and Isaac can’t help but think he’s being sincere. That doesn’t matter – people don’t always mean to hurt you, but they do.

“What _do_ you want?” he repeats, picking at a loose thread on his jumper.

“You’re pack – do I need a reason to talk to you?”

Isaac shrugs.

“You don’t own much, do you?” asks Peter, gaze sweeping around the room. “Though you’ve managed to make quite a mess with what you do own in just a couple hours.”

He feels himself flush, because the untidy state of his room is completely deliberate. Just because his fingers constantly itch to make sure his clothes are all folded and his school books are in one neat pile, doesn’t mean he has to let them. This is his space, and he doesn’t _have_ to keep it immaculate anymore.

“Sorry,” says Peter, as if he’s read Isaac’s mind, “I didn’t mean anything by that. This is your room – if you want to trip over things constantly, that’s your prerogative.”

Nodding, he tries to work out what he can do to get rid of Peter, because not responding doesn’t seem to be working any more than lashing out did, and he’s coming dangerously close to thinking Peter Hale, of all people, is being considerate.  Before he can do anything, though, Peter speaks again.

“I’m cooking dinner because it’s the only way I can ensure my nephew and niece eat properly,” he says, “are you going to join us? Actually, scratch that question. Join us – you look like you could use a good meal.” Peter leaves before Isaac can even think about replying to that.

Standing up, Isaac goes and stands in front of the small mirror that was in the room when they first moved into the loft. He doesn’t look _that_ thin – it’s not exactly like he’s been going hungry living with the McCall’s.  No, Peter’s just winding him up, or trying to taunt him into joining the Hales at their meal. Well, Isaac’s the one winning if that’s the case, because he’s going to get a meal cooked for him out of it.

And later, he _definitely_ knows he’s got a good deal, because the pasta dish that Peter has cooked is delicious. They actually sit at the table to eat, a stark contrast to the meals he and Derek used to have in abandoned buildings, and something must have changed over the past few weeks because it’s the easiest he’s seen Derek and Cora being around their uncle. They talk about mundane things like the food and their neighbours and manage to sound interesting, and Isaac doesn’t talk must apart from the occasional agreement but he listens and basks in the normalcy of it. Maybe the loft won’t be all that different from the McCall’s now after all.

Peter’s clever. No matter what topic comes up he has something notable to say, and Isaac wonders what he’d done as a job before the fire – probably something high paying, useful.

“Do you want another helping, Isaac?” asks Cora, spooning up some more of the pasta for herself. “There’s plenty.”

 “No, thanks. One’s enough.” His stomach rumbles.

Peter rolls his eyes and takes the spoon from Cora, piles another heap of the pasta shells onto Isaac’s plate. “It’ll go to waste otherwise.”

Isaac smiles, ever so slightly, and finishes the lot.

~~

“Do you actually like this stuff?” Isaac asks, walking up behind Peter. It’s the first time Isaac’s initiated a conversation with Peter, but neither of them point that out.

 It’s late, and Derek and Cora are already in bed. Isaac was, but he doesn’t want to sleep anymore tonight. Coming downstairs at two in the morning to find Peter still there isn’t a surprise.

“People are interesting,” says Peter, gesturing at the reality show on the tv, “and at this time of night, it’s either this or shopping channels.”

“Hmmm. It’s a difficult choice.”

Peter laughs softly, and then moves sideways on the couch, not looking at Isaac. “There’s room on here, if you want to come and save me from the horror that is entertainment today.”

Usually, Isaac sits silently on the bottom stair until he falls asleep and wakes up with a sore back. Sometimes, when it’s been a cold night he wakes up to find a blanket covering him, even though Peter’s always gone. Tonight, he pads across the room in his bare feet and lowers himself down into the space Peter has made for him.

 “If you don’t like it, why do you always stick around here and watch it?” he asks, looking at Peter curiously. He’s only been in Peter’s apartment once, when Derek had sent him and Cora to collect something, but it was enough to know how nice a place it is.

“This is where the pack is,” Peter says, as though that explains everything. Maybe it does. “Why did you pick tonight to start talking to me?”

Isaac shrugs. “Does there have to be a reason?”

“No. There usually is a reason for things with you, though – I’ve noticed that.”

He could ignore that, or lie. “I guess I just know you a little better now,” he says, instead. “And if we’re going to be pack, it makes sense to talk. Besides, Derek’s the one who told me to stay away from you, and he isn’t.”

“So why should you?”

“Exactly,” Isaac says, even though he actually knows the answer to that question. It’s against his rules. Peter can be dangerous, no matter how civil he’s currently acting.

Isaac really needs to remember that. 


End file.
